Stoker



H. F. SMITH. STOKER.v- APPLICATION FILED MAYSI, i917.

1,373,265 Patend Mar. 29, 1921.

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H TTORNEYS H. F. SMITH.

STOKER.

APPLICATloN FILED MMSI, 1917.

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Paf/mm Mar. 29, 1921.

H. E. SMITH.

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APPLICATION FILED MAY 3I| I9I7. 1,373,265@ Patented Mar. 29, 1921.

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raiser HARRY ii SMITH, or LEXINGTON, oiiio, Assieiion, BY MnsNn AssiGNMENTs, 'ro THE GAS RESEARCH COMPANY, or DAY'roN, oirio, A conromimolv 0F @Hm T 0 all whom t 'may cof/warnt: f

Be it known that I, HARRY F. SMITH, a citizenof the United States of America, re-

siding at Lexington, county of Richland,

and State of Ohio, ha-ve invented certain new and useful Improvements in Stokers, of which the following is a full, clear, and

exact description.

This invention relates to mechanical stokers and more particularly to automatically operated mechanical stoliers for introducing fuel iiito a fire box or gas producer at any desired, predetermined rate; and the object of the invention is to provide `a mechanical Stoker which is completely automatic in its operation, which introduces` fuelV onto the grate at any regular and predetermined rate of speed desired,` which is so constructedfas,`

to prevent any damage accruing to the apparatus from choking or jamming of the stokf" ing mechanism and which is so constructed as at all times to prevent the escape therethrough of gases from the firey box. In carrying my invention intoeffect I employ a stoking mechanism comprisingarotatably mounted ported dislr which is actuated to bring its `ports successively into register with a source of fuel supply for receiving therein lcharges of fuel and with a passage whereby the charges of fuel are admitted to the interior of the firel box or gas pro ducer. n The disk is operated by mechanical means which means is in turn driven from any suitablepower source, the driving-means comprising a friction clutch automatically' allowing of stopping the operating means without shutting off the driving power transmittedthereto.

illustrated in the drawings as attached tokk a gas .producer for feeding fuel into the generating chamber thereof. It is obvious,

however, that e stoking mechanism of this character is Just as capable yof use in connection with various other types of appa-y ratus,l and consequently, although as a preferred adaptation and for purposes of easier description I have shown it as attached to vdeposited upon the fuel bed therein.

Specification of Letters Patent.l i Pit-@Qnted Mar. 29, 1921 Application filed May 31, 1917. Serial No. 171,949. y i

a gas producer.

In the drawings, in which likeJ referencev characters designate like the several views thereof:

Figure l is a side elevation of a portion of a gas producer with my impi-ovedstoking mechanism carried thereby.

F1g. 2 is a plan view of the stolring mechamsm.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. y i

l is a front elevational view of a portioii'of a gas producer with the mechanism attached thereto.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view through the friction clutch.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view through a dif ferent form of'friction clutch.

In the drawings l designates a producer shell having attached to the top and near thefront thereof a stoker designated generally by the numeral 2. y V

Thelower part of the Stoker 2 consists of abase section 3 rigidly attached to the top pf the producer shell. Extending up-` warmly from the center of thisl base'section is ari-extension el having at the upper 'end thereof a smaller extension 5.y The base secparts throughout tending through the `topof the producer generating chamber of the producer and'be The port 6V has pivotally mounted therein a deflector actuated by afhandle 9. This han-y vdle 9 is mounted in the base section 3, its

inner end being loosely connected* to the defiector 8, and is held in position by means of a groove l0 therein which has coperating therewith an adjustable pin 1l extending through that part of the' base section bearing the handle. the handle 9 is a spring pressed locking arm 12 which coperates with a properly notched portion 13a carried by the base section `3 for locking the defiector in any desired posi-y tion. It is evident thatby properly adjusting the deflector 8 fuel passing through the port G may be directed entirely to one side stoking tion hastherethrough a-port 6 whichr reg- 'isters with a similarly shapedportv 7 ex- Pivotally attached to or the other thereof, or maybe fed in two separate streams to opposite sides of the defiector, the relative proportion of fuel fed to each side being` subject to ready variation. i

Mounted upon the extension 4and rotatable thereupon is a flat disk member 13 which seats upon the top surface of the base section 3. This disk member has therethrough four ports 14 equidistantly spaced'. Extending around the outer surface `of thev disk member is a series of teeth 15 which coperate with an actuating pawl 16.-

Carried by the smaller extension 5. is a 4hopper plate or member 17 which seats upon the top surface of the disk 13 and has at-` tached thereto a hopper 1S.` The hopper plate 17 is rigidly connected to the extension 5 by means of a bolt 20, and the extension 5 and the recess 19 in the hopper plate cooperating therewith areso shaped that when secured 1n position rotation of the plate 17 relative to the base section 3 is prevented. At the lower end of the hopper 1S is a port 21 similar in shape and size to the ports 14 in the disk member. Thebase member and the hopper plate are so positioned that the port 6 and the port 21 are out of alinement with each other, and the contacting surfaces of the members 3, 13 and 17 are so formed that tight oints exist between them. ln this manner leakage of Oas fromthe producer or fire box into the atmosphereor of air 4from outside to the inside thereof is prevented. The recess 19 is deeper than the eX- tension 5 so that by properly manipulating the bolt 2O wear of the contacting surfaces of the members 3, 13 and 17 may be compensated for and tightness of the joints therebetween insured. By so compensating for wear of the contacting surfaces not only is the leakage of gas prevented, but also the working of fuel or foreign substances between the parts of the stolring mechanism to cause amming thereof is prevented. ln the `hopper plate 17 is a pole hole 22 in alinement with the ports 6 and 7 so that access may be had therethrough to the inside of the generating chamber. Covering this poke hole 22 is a pivoted plate 23 so mounted that it may be swung aside when such access is desired.

As stated above the disk member 13 has cooperating therewith a pawl 16. This pawl is carried by a member 24, pivoted at 25 to a rocker arm 26 which arm is in turn pivoted at 27 to a member 28 rigidly attached to the producer shell or to some portion of the stolring mechanism or some part of the ap paratus with which such stolzer is being used.` Situated between the pawl and the member 24 is a spring 29 so positioned as to hold the Vpawl constantly in contact with the teeth 15. Because of its double pivotal connection it is evident that the pawl is Lenses capable of both vertical and horizontal movement. Mounted in suitable bearings. on the front of the producer shell is a shaft 30 which carries thereon an eccentric roller 31. The shaft 30 is rotatably driven through the' medium ofa gear 32, mounted on one end thereof, by means of a rotating shaft 33 frictionalcontact with the eccentric roller 31" by means of a spring 37 one end of which is r attached to the hook 38 carried by the rocker arm 26 and the other end to some stationary part of the apparatus, as at 39.

The friction clutch which I prefer to use for driving the shaft l33 is that form shown in Fig. 5. This clutch comprises a disk member 40 having a hub portion 41 extending therefrom adapted to lit upon one end of the shaft 33 and to be tightly keyedl thereto. Carried in one face of the disk 40 is a series of wooden pins 42. Rotatabl'y mounted upon the hub 41 is a cup shaped member 43 one wall 44 of which is adapted to overlie and inclose the disk member 40. Rigidly attached to the wall 44 at the open end thereof is a cap 45. The cup member 43 and the cap 45 when attached together form a housing completely inclosing the disk member 40 which housing is mounted upon the hub 41 and is capable of rotary motion relative thereto, and tothe disk 40.1 Projecting fronr theend of the'cap 45 and in alinement with the shaft 33 isy an internally threaded hollow extension 46 normally closed by a threaded plu 47 held in posif ocated in thecap tion by a `set screw 48.V

los

45 is a helical spring 49 one end of which bears yagainst the plug 47 and the other end of which surrounds the end of shaft 33 band bears against the disk 40. `By adjusting the plug 47 the spring 49 may be placed under any desired tension so as to forcethe cap` 45 and the cup member 43 longitudinally of the shaft 33 to bring the inner wall of the cup member into frictional contact with the wooden pins 42. The cup member 43 has the outer surface of its wall 44 cylindri-v cal in form and the periphery thereof properlyfashioned for serving as a driving pnlley. With the spring 48 under suflicient tension, so as to produce the requisite amount of friction between the cup member 43 and the wooden pins 42, it is evident that power applied to the member 43, as by means ofa beltpassing around the periphery of portion 44 yand driven 'from any suitable power source, and causing rotation thereof,

will also produce rotation of shaft 33. It is also evident that if for anyfreason the shaft 38 is prevented from turnng, as` wouldbe the case if the disk13 were to jam-because f of becoming choked with coal or because ofk If such'retardation'of the shaft 33 wassufliciently strong, the cup member 43w1th.1ts` attached parts would .continue to rotate but, v

would slide over the wooden pins 42 without giving'rise to a sufficiently strong driving force tending to rotate the shaft 43 to actually rotate that shaft against the retarding force in the stoking mechanism and to thus cause damage thereto.

Fig. 6 illustrates a different form offfriction clutch. Thisclutch consists of a .cone member 50` rigidly keyed to the shaft 51 which has a vsmaller extension 52 at one end thereof. Rotatably mounted upon this smaller extension 52 is a disk member53 held thereupon by the nut 54 and lock nut 55. Extendingv from the face ofthe disk.A

member 53 so as to overlie the-cone shaped member 50 is a series of pins '56 each of which carries thereon a helical spring 57. Also carried by the pins 56 is a plate 59 having holes therein adapted to kpass over the pins 56. This plate is placed upon the pins 56 after the springs 57 are in position so that when properly assembled these springs bear at their opposite ends upon disk 53 and the plate 59. Rotatably mounted upon the shaft 51 is a pulley 60 the hub 61 of which has a conical bore adapted to coperate with the conical periphery of member 50. The hub 61 has thereon a rib 62k against which the ring 59 is adapted to press when the clutch is assembled. By properly positioning the disk 53 on the shaft extension 52, which positioning may be easily accomplished by means of the nutY 54 and the lock nut 55, the spring 57 may be placed under such tension as to force the pulley 60 toward the conical member 50 with sufficient force to produce any desired amount of friction between the conical surfaces ofthe members 50 and 62. It is evident therefore that any power applied to the pulley 60 to rotateit will also rotate the shaft 51, which shaft is a driving shaft for such a stoker mechanism at such times/'a charge'of. fuel from the hop'- per. Asthe rotation of thek disk continues lthechargedports are moved into register with the port 6 in the base member andthe charges Vof fuel therein are discharged therethrough ontofthe grate or fuel bed. If for any reason, as'by the jamming-of 'some foreign material betweeny the disk and the base" member or `the hopper member,frotation of the disk is Aimpeded or'completely stoppedmo n damage is caused to the apparatus because of the friction clutch. It is evident ythat if there is a sufficient retardation to the rotary movement of the disk, such retardation will be transmitted to the driving mechanism for the disk, which mechanism will be retarded in accordance with the retarding of the disk. In such circumstances the pulley member 43 will continue to rotate inasmuch as the -driving power is still being applied thereto, but will slip over the pins 42 and thus permit, if circumstances demand, the disk 13 and its actuating mechanism to even come to a complete stop. I

It is evident from the above that I have devised a stoking mechanism which is completely automatic in its action and which is adapted to feed fuel at any desired regular, predetermined rate, and that I have devised a device in which the wear of the various parts of the feeding mechanism is readily taken care kof so that there will be little or no tendency for leakage of gases therethrough, or for the jamming of materials to cause a binding or breaking of the parts thereof. of

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a Vgas producer or the like, the combination in a fuelfeeding device, of a stationary base member having a port therethrough; a stationary hopper member having a port therethrough, said ports being f out of alinement; a rotatable disk member intermediate said base member and said hopper member, said disk member having a port therethrough adapted to register with. either of the aforesaid ports, a plurality of ,peripheral teeth thereon; a pawl adapted for engagement with said teeth to cause rotation of the disk member; and mechanism for actuating said pawl, said mechanism including a friction clutch.

2. In a gas producer or the like, the combination in a fuel feeding device, of a stationary basel member having a port therethrough; a stationary hopper member having a port therethrough, said ports being out f of alinement; a rotatable disk member intermediate said base member and said hopper member, said disk member having a port therethrough adapted to register with either of the aforesaid ports, a plurality of peripheral teeth thereon; a pawl adapted for engagement with said teeth to cause rotation of the disk Iiiember;- mechanism for eetuatu ing seid vpfiwl; and means for meint:Lining the hopper,-olisk,` and base members? stantially gas-tight Contact. Y e

3. ii a gas producer or the like/,the oombi-nation ine. fuel feeding device,v of lan stationery base member having-eport therethrough; a stationary hopper member having a port therethrough, said ports being out of alinement; a rotatable diskmember intermedieteseid base member and saidhopin sub.-

' ripheral teeth thereon;l a pawl adapted for Lees-,eee

per membe-i said elisk member having a port therethrough adapted to registeriwith either of the .aforesaid ports', a plurality of peengagemeritiwth said teethto eauserotaf f tion of the disk member; iileohzmismfor 'aotuating said paWl; a. deieotor` Within the base member port, aiidhmeans for holding said deleotorin any desired position.

In'testmony whereof I efx my signature.

HARRY F. SMITH. k 

